Bardot

Ladies and gentlemen, please brace yourself for some serious lingerie hotness courtesy of Gooseberry Intimates. My personal favorite from their collection is the “Honey Bee” bodysuit which costs $139, comes in either black or ivory and is constructed with unlined and underwired cups and crafted with a generous amount of fine tulle mesh and spliced with delicate floral lace. As you can see from the picture below, this sexy piece of lingerie doesn’t necessarily have to be contained in the bedroom area only as has been beautifully demonstrated by celeb/social media hotties Khloe Kardashian and Emily Ratajkowski who both have paired the racy bodysuit with a high-waisted skinny jeans out in public. It’s definitely a very daring look to be sported outside the comfort of your own home, but that’s what nipple covers were invented for, am I right? And while $139 is far from being an unreasonable price for such a lovely and well constructed piece of clothing, Gooseberry Intimates is located in Bali, so shipping it to the US or Europe wouldn’t be exactly hassle-free, especially when it comes to handling returns, delivery time and customs. Bummer!

Bardot Britney Lace & Mesh Bodysuit

Deal: Take $25 off every $100 you spend with promo code PRIVATE! Valid on regular priced items, exclusions may apply. Offer valid through November 12th, 2017.

Luckily, I was able to spot a very similar lace bodysuit by Bardot which looks almost just as delicate and lovely but costs only half the price of the Gooseberry version. I also like that the cups on this bodysuit are lined, so you don’t necessarily *HAVE* to opt for nipple covers if you decide to wear this sexy bodysuit out in public.

Romwe Crisscross Back Sheer Lace Bodysuit

Not quite as delicate or anywhere dupe-worthy, but these lacey bodysuits I found at Romwe would also be a suitable look for less alternative. Plus, they’re super cheap at $5.99 (sale price!), so if you’re unsure whether you’d like the lingerie-in-public look on yourself, you might want to go for these first before splurging on a pricier version. And if you’re not too fond of this particular lace bodysuit here, there are several more at Romwe which look similar.

Update: This post has been updated on October 11, 2017. Scroll down to see the new adds.

Can we please have a moment of OMG!-silence for this AH!-mazing Balmain blazer? Consider me obsessed big time. If there ever existed something such as the perfect blazer, this gold-buttoned double-breasted navy wool-twill blazer which comes with Balmain’s signature razor-sharp silhouette would definitely be one of them. Just take a look at how gorgeous and effortlessly elegant all the beautiful ladies below look in their Balmain-adorned outfit ensembles. Perfection! I’d even be willing to splurge on a classic fashion staple such as this blazer, but its price of $2.385 is just beyond any common sense. My credit card does not approve.

M&S Collection Gold Button Double Breasted Jacket

Update (10/11/2017): Spotted this super fab Balmain inspired military-style blazer by M&S Collection at Marks & Spencer today. It only has 2 instead of 3 rows of gold buttons, but the overall design is still very reminiscent of the Balmain jacket above. Price: £65.

Camilla and Marc “Dimmer” Double-Breasted Blazer

Update (10/11/2017): If you’re willing to spend considerably more to get a high-quality blazer similar to the Balmain one, check out the “Dimmer” jackets by Camilla and Marc which are admittedly quite expensive at $699 AUD, but possibly worth the investment. Also love that they come in so many gorgeous colors!

PrettyLittleThing “Pari” Double Breasted Military Style Blazer

Update (10/11/2017): Another possible alternative would be these military-style blazers I found at PrettyLittleThing which are obviously Balmain dupes, but soooo much cheaper at £30. By the way, students get a whopping 50% discount at PrettyLittleThing.

Forever New “Libby” Double-Breasted Blazer

Update (10/11/2017): I also like these blazers by Forever New which look like they’re of decent quality and would make great Balmain look for less dupes. Also love that they come in a variety of colors!

Dorothy Perkins 3 Tier Double Breasted Jacket

Update (10/11/2017): Still haven’t found your Balmain blazer dupe favorite yet? Then how about this one from Dorothy Perkins? It has all the key military style details but is so much more affordable at $75.

Lipsy Military Tailored Button Blazer

Update (10/11/2017):Lipsy has a few cute military-inspired blazer options that would be also be suitable for a look for less. This tailored jacket for example retails for £66 and is also available in white.

Tahari ASL Double-Breasted Ponte Knit Jacket

Update (01/24/2017): This double-breasted blazer by Tahari ASL is also a great budget-friendly alternative to the expensive Balmain jacket. It’s currently on sale for $63.95 and comes in an array of beautiful colors including navy, black, white, wine red and rose pink. Absolutely looooove this budget find! Another very similar option in navy is available here ($139).

Loft Double Breasted Blazer

Update (01/24/2017): Also found this navy double breasted blazer at Loft and it instantly reminded me of the Balmain one. It misses a few buttons to qualify as a designer dupe, but if you’re fine with a Balmain “inspired” design, this $128 blazer would be probably a good buy.

Mango “Boton” Double-Breasted Blazer

Update (12/06/2016): OK, so I spotted this beautiful Balmain dupe at Mango and just had to share this gorgeous nautical inspired navy blazer with you! Actually, I liked this one so much I ordered it for myself a couple days ago and I’m so happy I did because it’s the best Balmain dupe I’ve found and owned yet! Definitely worth the $79.99 price tag (sale price)! If you like this blazer, you better don’t wait too long as I’m pretty sure this beauty of a blazer will sell out in no time!

White House Black Market “Trophy” Double-Breasted Blazer Jacket

Update (12/06/2016): At White House Black Market you can also find a pretty neat Balmain inspired blazer aptly called the “Trophy Jacket”. The double-breasted blazer comes in petite sizing and various colors and costs between $81.99-$150.

Missguided Double-Breasted Military Style Blazer

Update (12/06/2016): I’ve also stumbled upon a third set of Balmain inspired military-style blazers at Missguided which look so much like the real deal but cost only $76 and come in various lovely colors such as nude, white and blush. Love these affordable blazers! Pssssst, US students get a 40% (!) student discount (offer may end soon though)!

Stylekeepers “You Set Me Free” Double-Breasted Blazer

Update (08/01/2016): Just discovered this spot-on Balmain dupe by Stylekeepers in a beautiful khaki green for $145 AUD. If you prefer a more classic color, check out the “Sweet Success” blazer which looks similar to this one and comes in black.

Banana Republic Nautical-Style Basketweave Blazer

My personal favorite Balmain look for less alternative is this nautical basketweave blazer I discovered at Banana Republic recently. All the important Balmain details are there: a fitted silhouette, double-breasted front, gold buttons and a beautiful deep navy color. BR’s version has a couple differences such as a different material, but they’re rather minor and overall it’s still a gorgeous and budget-friendly alternative for the pricey Balmain blazer. Especially so if you take advantage of the 50% off sale promotion which is currently running at Banana Republic because it cuts down the price of this blazer down from $169.99 to $84.99 (that’s a saving of $2.300,01 compared to the real deal). Super steal deal alert!

Veronica Beard Hugh + Leon Dickey Jacket

Now these nautical blazers (“Hugh“, $645, and “Leon“, $545) by Veronica Beard are probably the closest matches to the real deal Balmain in terms of overall design, but they do cost more than $500, so they rank as my current second favorite Balmain dupes. You would save a whopping $1.840 by opting for the Veronica Beard version though, so I still consider this blazer to be a pretty good bargain nonetheless!

Brooks Brothers Wool Double-Breasted Blazer

Another gorgeous blazer and pretty awsome Balmain alternative is this lovely navy blazer by Brooks Brothers. The key details are spot-on Balmain, Brooks Brothers is known for their high-quality tailoring and did I mention this beauty of a blazer is currently on sale for $274 (was $548). Sure, it’s not a steal at that price, but it might be worth the investment because a navy blazer is so versatile.

Vero Moda Military Blazer

And here’s a little little something for all you European Balmain lovers out there! These military-inspired double-breasted blazers by Vero Moda are a pretty spot-on Balmain dupe for less than €50 (sale price!). You’re welcome.

J.Crew Double-Breasted Blazer

Not available in navy, but these blazers by J.Crew also reminded me of the Balmain one above because the design and silhouette are so similar. If you’re all about the navy color, check out this other J.Crew blazer which I found at J.Crew Factory for $79 (sale price!).

Update: This post has been updated on April 24, 2017. Scroll down to see the new adds.

While Self-Portrait certainly had its breakthrough with the Azaelea dress, my personal SP favorite was another dress: Ivy, a gorgeous lace-trim tiered midi dress with a Swiss Dot texture and an open lace-up back. I could probably gush about this dress for the next hour or just simply say that it is *the* perfect summer dress! Playful, feminine, delicate, breezy – what more could you possibly ask for in a summer dress? The only bummer is the price of $625 (now $437.50) which seems reasonable when you consider all the details that this dress has to offer, but still, $437.50 is a lot of money for a lot of people.

Bardot “Sophia” Peplum Dress

Update (04/24/2017): Discovered this lovely Self-Portrait inspired, shortened peplum dress by Bardot which instantly reminded me of the “Ivy” dress above. May isn’t too far away, so this frock might become your go-to dress for the remainder of Spring and Summer. “Sophia” is available in white or orange and retails for $119.

Warehouse Lace Tiered Dress

When I first saw this lace tiered midi dress at Warehouse, it instantly reminded me of the Ivy dress even though it clearly has some obvious differences. I wouldn’t call it a dupe, but the whole concept of the dress, which is available in either black, white or rust by the way, is definitely at least inspired by Self-Portrait’s whimsical aesthetic. Unfortunately, this Ivy look-alike dress ain’t cheap either ($176!), but at least it’s still almost $450 cheaper than the real deal.

Finally! Spring has officially arrived and I’ve been loving all the sunshine, the blooming flora and the soothing mild temperatures lately! The new season not only lightened up my mood but also my wardrobe; I’m super into pastel colors these days and couldn’t care less for body-con clothes and uncomfortable high heels at the moment. That’s why for this month’s budget look edition, I’ve tried to combine all of my current Spring trend obsessions into one outfit: soft pastel colors, relaxed fits and feminine florals. Let me know if you like my delicate yet sporty Spring look.

Two more weeks until Valentine’s Day and while I’m not particularly excited about V-Day itself (all the single ladies!), I do like any opportunity that allows me to dress up and act all flirty about it. When dressing up, my personal motto is: “Drama, drama, drama!”, that’s why this black off-the-shoulder midi dress by Bardot with its body-con silhouette and the dramatic bell sleeves instantly caught my attention. I immediately started styling this LBD in my head and style-wise it felt like my mind ran in 100 different directions. There are a lot of ways to style this versatile dress and I decided to pick three for you to show: bold, romantic and just plain cute. So if you need some outfit inspiration for your own Valentine’s Day attire, feel free to check out my V-Day look suggestions and let me know whether you like them or not.